Two months after a would-be assassin struck Donald Trump in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman was arrested after allegedly pointing an “AK-style” rifle at the former president at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday afternoon. The FBI says Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination.”
The suspect, who law enforcement has identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested after initially fleeing the scene and is now in custody. Trump, meanwhile, was rushed to safety and later confirmed on social media that he is safe and well.
On Sunday, Megyn offered special live coverage of the breaking story:
What We Know
According to law enforcement, Secret Service agents spotted a man with an AK-47-style firearm near Trump International Golf Course West Palm Beach around 2pm on Sunday. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the suspect had taken cover near a chain-link fence between 300 and 500 yards away from Trump “with a rifle and scope.”
The would-be assassin had set up a GoPro camera on the fence, presumably to record the shooting. Agents who walk the course two to three holes ahead of Trump noticed the suspect and confronted him. Reports have been conflicting as to whether Routh or the Secret Service fired first, but shots did ring out on the golf course.
Routh was reportedly able to evade agents and fled the scene in a black Nissan. A bystander happened to watch him scurry out of the bushes and into the vehicle and took a picture that was shared with law enforcement. A statewide search began and the suspect was arrested during a felony traffic stop on I-95 not long after.
There is much to learn about the suspect and his motive, but social media accounts believed to belong to him show a fascination with foreign affairs, particularly the war in Ukraine.
Bradshaw admitted that the golf course would have been more protected if Trump was the sitting president. “The golf course is surrounded by shrubbery, so when somebody gets into the shrubbery, they’re pretty much out of sight, all right, and at this level that he is at right now, he’s not the sitting president,” he said. “If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded, but because he’s not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”
The Reaction
While agents were pursuing the suspect, Trump was rushed off the golf course by his protective detail. Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung confirmed the former president was okay. “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at the time,” he shared.
The White House said Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had been briefed on the incident. “They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” a statement read. Trump’s 2024 opponent then issued her own remarks on X. “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe,” Harris tweeted. “Violence has no place in America.”
GOP vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance posted on X that he had spoken with the former president directly. “I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits,” he wrote. “Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.”
Trump also addressed the incident himself. “There were gunshots in my vicinity but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” he wrote on Sunday. “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you.”
‘How Many Times?’
In speaking with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump’s son Eric questioned how much longer this can continue. “My father is running out of lives here,” he said. “How many more rifles are going to come within assassination distance of my father?”
Megyn said that is the question on her mind this evening. “Most importantly, the former president safe at this hour,” Megyn said. “But how many times is this man going to have to go through this? How many times are we going to have to go through this?”
She also said there is no excuse for Trump to not be receiving the highest level of Secret Service protection. “They already had a warning… and a man lost his life in their ‘mulligan,'” she said. “They got complacent again… just two months later… It is inexcusable.”
You can check out Megyn’s special coverage on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.